Lost and Found! Pura Vida!
Finally...updating the blog! The site I use to create the blog informed me that it's been 33 days since my last posting, time flies!
June 20-26th we took a short (and I mean short) mission trip to Costa Rica. This was the shortest trip I have ever been on but we jammed packed our week full of ministry opportunities. It ended up being one of my favorite mission trips ever! For information on the details of who went & who we went to work with scroll down to our newsletter we posted a couple months ago.
Jaco Beach, Costa Rica
This is a shot of the beach the night we arrived - the sunset was gorgeous!
Charley put straight to work cleaning our "accomodations"! We walked in to a lovely little "bungalow" that was very dirty and very hot (no air conditioning...but a really great pool, ha)! Give it up for the team for smiling, being gracious to our host and then heading straight to the store to pick up some cleaning supplies and get right to work!
Darcy scrubbing the shower - I think only 2 of us ended up using it...the rest of us showered in the outside pool shower with our bathing suits on!
Like many mission trips a great theme to follow is "Expect the Unexpected"! Now we didn't expect to have to clean our place but we did and we did with a smile...and God was just giving us a small taste of "the unexpected" for the rest of the trip! He had some cool plans we could have never EVER arranged ahead of time!
First day of ministry: Crossing over a river to go work with kids!
A rare picture of me! Ha! I like to be behind the lens...not in front of it! John snapped one of me with his camera!
Our plans were set ahead of time that we would work with this group of children that live alongside a river from 9-11am and 1-3pm (that changed but it's what we did the first day we arrived). They are mostly Nicauraguan refugee children and they live in shacks lining the river. Where they live used to be called "The Hole" but Scott (one of the missionaries living in Jaco) has accurately renamed it "The River" - no child deserves to live in a place called "The Hole".
The Rancho that a lady named Bleu has set-up where the kids can come for 2, 2hr increments each day and hear Bible stories, play games, learn English and be loved!
John immediately covered in kids eager and happy to see us all!
Our group name was "Lost and Found" from the story in Matthew. A craft and story time we had planned ahead told the story of the Lost Sheep and then we made a sheep with cotton balls...the kids loved it!
The Parable of the Lost Sheep - Matthew 18:10-14
"See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.
"What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.
What does this mean? - You (and me) are the lost sheep and the the "man" is Jesus Christ! If we are lost He will come and find us and be joyful that we are found!
Are you lost? Let Jesus find you...life is so sweet and wonderful with Him!
Playing a game of "Pato. Pato. Ganso!" (Duck. Duck. Goose!) to get the wiggles out!
Notice Denise's shirt says "Me hace visto?" it translates "Have you seen me?" with a sheep on front. These were our team shirts.
Here's Darren with a sweet little one. We colored pictures of Jesus with a sheep.
Charley helping draw a picture of "a time when you were sad" - this is a great thing to do with kids to get them talking about the realities of life. You get a small piece of a child's "story" and it's helpful to know how to love and care for that child in their own unique special way. The other side of the paper (or in the "sad" picture) they draw what would have made them happy or how the situation could have been different.
Before we headed out we unloaded some new toys for the kids...the girls immediately grabbed the doll house and began playing! So cute! Little mommies!
The kids started to leave to go have lunch of Beans and Rice (typical Costa Rican lunch). Some of the kids were going to go to school that afternoon. The school system was very confusing for us...some kids go, some don't, some only go sometimes, some teachers only go sometimes...no real consistency so these kids are at a disadvantage at an early age because they aren't getting an education that would help them later in life!
Playing in the "front yard"!
Crossing the river to get back home. The kids know that if it starts to rain they immediately head home - the river could be a dangerous place if it starts to really rain, it starts flowing fast immediately with even a little rain.
Enjoying a Pops ice cream after a long day with some energetic kids (and heat & humidity)! This is the team staring up at a huge TV that's projected on to the side of a building...giving those with nothing to do, something to do! (L to R: John, Charley, Darcy, Denise, Oskar & Darren)
The next day we had a very unique opportunity to go and visit a Rehab Center up in the middle of nowhere. It was like no rehab center I have ever seen - makeshift building for sleeping with dirty rusty cots/bunks, a small pile of clothes for at the head of each bunk that belong to each man...these men sometimes walk miles to get to this rehab center in hopes of getting clean from drugs & alcohol. They make all their meals on site, have a garden, have Bible sessions, etc. It's extremely rustic living - these men are there because they are desperate. The night before (when we found out all our plans had been changed...we thought we were working with the River kids everyday) Leslie (my friend who lives in Jaco) said, "can one of you speak at a rehab center tomorrow, maybe share your testimony?" Crazy enough Oskar on our team has been clean of drugs and alcohol for 18 months and was just the right guy to share his testimony with these men - he knows exactly what they're going through! God planned it perfectly!
It was also the first time Oskar was able to share his testimony and the men were so encouraged. Two men stood up and said that they day before they both thought of leaving, it was just too hard and they missed their families. Oskar's story encouraged them that they too could get clean - for themselves and their families. They committed to stay for the rest of their year-long program!
The men listening to Oskar's testimony.
A tour of the facility:
The kitchen where they make their meals.
The big pots boiling with lunch inside!
A small pig farm.
The "weight room" (those are cement blocks for weights)
The fruit cutting station. The guys were all so kind & friendly!
Their garden
Before we left they served us all lunch! Amazing hospitality! It was rice, cooked veggie & potato, cooked beet slices & cooked cucumber slices! DEEEEElicious!
One night we were asked to share at a place called Christian Surfers. This is a ministry in many surf spots all over the world - they minister to local/tourist surfers and it's a place where locals can come and hang out, skateboard, rent surf boards and a place for Christian Surfers to share the gospel with those that come. On Tuesday nights they have a Bible study and the local kids know and they come to listen. Darren shared a good word with them and it was cool because it poured rain that night and it was a cool setting for us all to be together under cover of a storm!
On a free afternoon we went to the beach & rainforest - we saw this sloth trying to make it across a street...some guy picked him up and set him in the tree and he climbed up. By the huge scar down his back this sloth likes to live life on the edge..."Why did the sloth cross the road?" We'll never know...some brave tourist always puts him back in a tree because he's too slow to get all the way across!
We also saw monkeys, iguanas & even bright red crabs crawling around (with blue bottoms)! We also got bit by a lot of mosquitos 
! Costa Rica is absolutely beautiful and it was fun to enjoy the beauty!
! Costa Rica is absolutely beautiful and it was fun to enjoy the beauty!
My friends Scott & Leslie Freeman and their four boys, Kai, Ezra, Jude & Koa at the beach with us! They are missionaries with YWAM in Jaco, Costa Rica! Koa was born November 1st (8 days before Violet...maybe they'll meet someday)!
Charley was hoping to spot a toucan because we hear they're in the park but we never did...but he did spot one is this local tourist shop! HA!
One afternoon is POURED rain and Oskar & Darren went out and played a game of baseball with the older kids from the River. Each week they play at a local field - everyone just shows up at 2pm on Thursdays!
They had a blast...Oskar got a bit itchy from the wet grass and both were soaked from head to toe and covered in mud but they had such a great time and both said it was one of the highlights of their trip!
We brought some of the guys home - they were all wet and muddy at sat on the floor of the 15 passenger YWAM van...which had no air conditioning...the air (or lack of) was quite thick in the van with so many wet and hot bodies!
We offered to help some local missionaries with whatever odd jobs they needed done. One family needed some church supplies moved and one family needed their bathroom (with 14' high ceilings) painted...we got right to work! The guys moved the heavy boxes and the girls painted...
Our ladder was RICKETY and downright dangerous...it was hot as ever in there and the higher you went on the ladder...the hotter (and more rickety) it got. We were REALLY happy when the guys showed up to help!
John and Oskar rinsing out the brushes after helping us paint the rest of the 14' high ceiling!
The whole team worked together so amazingly all week long - each using their gifts! We were SO blessed to work along side each of them! (L to R: Darcy, Charley, Me, Darren, John, Oskar & Denise)
Another afternoon we took the opportunity to have some girl time & some boy time. For the girls manicures & pedicures were in order! And snacks of course! Some of the local girls come by the Christian Surfers base and hang out - we had a great time and it was easier to get to know the girls in a more casual setting...doing what girls love!
They also loved the glow stick bracelets that Mandy (Darren's wife) had sent with us - what girl doesn't want a bracelet to match her gorgeous nails!?
The guys spent the late morning with the local guys (16-18 year olds). There is a wood shop set up for these guys to learn a trade and they make local stuff - crosses, chairs, wood surf board towel hooks, etc! It's a great skill for them to learn and one that allows them to feel equipped in something of use for their future. Jaco is a city where a lot of bad stuff is going on: drugs, alcohol, prostitution, etc and this is a time where they can escape all that, spend time together and put their hands to a good use!
Making crosses that say jeSus (it shapes a cross)!
Oskar with a young guy that made him a surf board hook - Oskar liked the design so much that he came home and had it tattooed on this leg! Looks awesome! (I'll post a picture if I get one)
Darren with a couple of the guys
Charley taking a quick rest on one of the cool little chairs they make!
A closer up picture of the happenings!
The day we left for the airport we scheduled ministry in the morning. We went to a local park where some kids gather each week for a lesson done by some local missionaries. They gave us the morning to work with these awesome kids! We did the Lost & Found lesson again with the sheep, played games, at a snack and played hide-and-go-seek with the "lost sheep"! Here they are playing Sharks and Minnows!
They have to run from goal box to goal box with out getting tagged by "the shark"! If they do they're out! Fun!
While the kids were playing games we would hide the stuffed sheep and when they were done we would tell them the story of the Lost Sheep from the Bible and then tell them that they had to go and find it. Here's our sheep "lost" up in the tree!
She finds it!! Then we would ask whoever found it how they felt when they found it...they would say "happy"! And we would say, "that's how Jesus feels when He finds you when you're lost"! Trying to use a fun game as a teaching moment!
After they heard the story of the lost sheep with did the craft.
We even had little googly eyes to put on the sheep! Here I am again helping one of the little girls do her craft.
Oskar was being so funny with the kids - he made little puppet sticks and was making them kiss the kids...they thought he was soooo funny! He was, I was laughing too!
Snack time!
Some kids climbed up into the play set for their snack!
Some play time to wrap things up...and adios!
Straight from there we headed to our place, packed up our suitcases and drove to the airport!
As you can see it was an awesomely full week! We also had an amazing opportunity to do a prayer walk from 11pm-2am on the main drag of town. From 11-12pm we handed out a flyer that said "Free Prayer" (Oracion Gratis) from 12-2am. It resembled the fliers we had been handed all week for various bars and clubs...it got people's attention. Darren and I even had the opportunity to pray with someone right on the spot! From 12-2am we prayed with people and prayed for the city of Jaco. There is such darkness in the city - drugs, alcohol, prostitution, physical and sexual abuse! Although it's a dark place there are dedicated workers there working hard to see LIGHT SHINE! We are thankful for these people and pray that the Lord will use them mightily in this city and that the city will be changed...and hearts will be changed!
Thanks for your support for our trip - it was absolutely life changing for the whole group! As we have debriefed the trip there is a sense of urgency and passion for our own city (Tulare) here in California. We will be doing a VBS-like program at a local park the week before school starts, in a really low-income area of Tulare. Please pray for our group as we see what serving our local community is like and that we would stay encouraged to serve and see others come to Christ!
All our love and thanks!
John & Laurie
LOVE IT!! These photos are amazing!!! miss you!!!